Counterfeit money as a weapon of war - V. Katasonov

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Counterfeit money is a weapon that has been used in warfare for centuries. Napoleon, Hitler, the CIA did not hesitate to use it for their own purposes. And in the context of today's confrontation between Russia and the West, one should not delude ourselves that the problem of counterfeit money is not very urgent for our country.

Counterfeit money is rarely spoken about in Russia today. Probably partly because, according to the Bank of Russia estimates, there are not many of them in our country. So, at the end of 2018, 38.5 thousand counterfeit ruble banknotes were identified, which, as the Russian Central Bank proudly reported, is 15% less than the previous year. It should be admitted that counterfeiting of Russian banknotes is very difficult, since domestic banknotes of the latest generation have reliable protection - one of the best in the world (along with US dollars).

Quite well, if you believe the information of the Central Bank, the situation is also with the banknotes of other countries on the territory of Russia. So, for the entire 2018, only 2,579 counterfeit bills of foreign origin were identified. It is noteworthy that 2352 of them are American dollars (almost exclusively 100-dollar bills).

But do not delude yourself that the problem of counterfeit money is not very urgent for Russia.

Because there are much more counterfeit money actually circulating in Russia than the identified counterfeits. It should be borne in mind that the overwhelming majority of the same 100-dollar bills are not in circulation, they are hidden in safes, bank cells and under the mattresses of Russian citizens. Therefore, they do not pass through the validation filters. And it is considered relatively reliable to check banknotes through the cash desks of banks. Checking in shops, cafes and other similar organizations does not always allow identifying fakes.

Also, at any moment counterfeit banknotes can unexpectedly fall on the Russian economy. Counterfeit money is a weapon that has been used in warfare for centuries. And the significance of this weapon today is no less than, say, in the past or the century before last.

Tensions between Russia and the West are progressing. In fact, they declared war on us. And in this situation, one cannot discount the possibility of the West using such weapons as counterfeit money. Which, as experience shows, were used by states to wage wars in three ways.

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Musk's company isn't the first to go this far. In July 2021, neurotech startup Synchron received FDA clearance to begin testing its neural implants in paralyzed people.

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